Schumer talks superdelegates, party rules, election ’08

Sen. Chuck Schumer came into the TU for an editorial meeting today. He talked about a whole range of issues, including blight, the subprime mortgage crisis, his vote to confirm Michael Mukasey as Attorney General, universal healthcare, and earmarks. He also talked about the ’08 election.

On the upcoming U.S. Senate elections: Of the seats up for reelection, 12 are Democratic and 23 are Republican. Schumer said that most of the Democrats are safe, and that he is confident that they will pick up seats in the Senate, but wouldn’t predict how many. He said that of contested races, the Democrats are “ahead in 4, with potential in another 6 or 7.”

On the presidential election: Schumer predicts that by June 7, there will be a clear nominee. In case there isn’t, however Schumer suggests that ahead of the final day of the primaries, the two candidates, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, meet to negotiate a means of deciding who is the nomination.

When asked whether he would ever switch his vote to Obama: “It would be very, very hard.” New York overwhelmingly supported Clinton.

On the question of the role of super-delegates and how they should vote: “This is not a great moral issue, how super-delegates should vote…the moral issue is electing a Democratic president.” He points out that the whole discussion about super-delegates could be moot after the upcoming primaries. “We should all calm down. Wait for June 7.

On changing the current primary system: “I think it should be changed,” said Schumer. “It would take someone who doesn’t want to be president,” raising his eyebrows knowingly, to make it happen. He offered up one possibility, which he made clear was “just a thought,” not an endorsement, which would be having 5 regional primaries (that would rotate each presidential election cycle), each a month apart, with no caucuses.